‘The Ultimate Fighter Nations’ Finale Preview

Bisping vs. Kennedy

If the animosity, or lack thereof, between Canada and Australia on
“The Ultimate Fighter Nations” left you wanting more, fear not
fight fans: Michael
Bisping and Tim Kennedy
have you covered. The two middleweights have been trading barbs on
social media, blogs and YouTube for months now, setting the stage
for a chippy headliner on Wednesday at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec
City, Quebec, Canada. Now that the talking -- and tweeting -- is
done, all that remains is for the two rivals to settle their feud
in the Octagon.

By comparison, relations between opposing “The Ultimate Fighter
Nations” coaches Kyle Noke and
Patrick
Cote were positively cordial. With both men looking to make a
mark in the welterweight division, their interaction in the cage
should prove to be far more interesting than what went down on set.
In addition, middleweight and welterweight winners from the reality
show will be crowned, adding to the perpetually expanding list of
athletes who can call themselves “Ultimate Fighters.”

Middleweights

The Matchup: These days, calling out Bisping seems
to be an essential part of the game plan for anyone looking to make
a name in the middleweight division. Although he has yet to hold a
belt himself, “The Count” remains a prominent figure in the
promotion, enough so that a victory against him could launch the
right opponent into title contention.

Kennedy’s animosity toward the Brit goes all the way back to UFC
127, where Bisping defeated his Ranger Up comrade Jorge
Rivera. The fight was mired in controversy, as Bisping landed
an illegal knee in round one that Rivera’s team labeled
intentional. After Bisping earned the technical knockout win in the
second frame, he yelled and spit in the direction of Rivera’s
corner. Like Rivera before him, Kennedy has taken to YouTube to
mock Bisping, and the two have also traded jabs all over the
Internet.

Whether the animosity is real or manufactured matters little come
fight night, however. Of greater concern is if Bisping experiences
any lingering effects after a lengthy recovery process for a
detached retina suffered in training. While even Bisping himself
has said the eye will never be exactly the same, he has been
cleared to compete inside the Octagon.

Kennedy is a tough draw for a comeback fight. While the former U.S.
Army Special Forces member is not always pretty to watch, he is
extremely tenacious and nearly impossible to put away. His only
losses while competing for Strikeforce
and the
Ultimate Fighting Championship have come in five-round affairs
against top-10 foes Ronaldo
Souza and Luke
Rockhold. Kennedy showed a different element to his game at UFC
Fight Night 31, where he knocked out Rafael
Natal with a jumping left hook late in the first round of their
headlining bout. For the most part, Kennedy has not been a knockout
artist on the feet, but his boxing has proven to be more than good
enough to help him pressure his opponents. That could change as he
continues to develop at
Jackson-Wink MMA.

No matter what, expect Kennedy to be in Bisping’s face from the
outset. The Strikeforce veteran will attempt to land takedowns and
drain “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner in the clinch. It is possible
that Kennedy could try to make this bout look something like
Bisping’s meeting with Chael Sonnen
in January 2012, although the Strikeforce veteran is not nearly the
decorated wrestler that Sonnen is. Even though Bisping lost the
Sonnen fight via decision, he more than held his own with former
NCAA All-American in the clinch, and he was often able to quickly
return to his feet when taken down.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over a five-round
fight. Conditioning should not be an issue for either man. Bisping,
with his boxing, movement and footwork, is the more technical
striker, but he is rarely a knockout threat. Some of this has to do
with his reliance on straight punches, which are most effective
when he can bait an opponent into chasing him. If Kennedy is able
to circle effectively, Bisping will have to vary his attack a
little more.

Bisping has been known to mix in the occasional takedown himself,
but Kennedy’s defensive wrestling is solid, making it far more
likely that “The Count” stays on his bicycle to attempt to control
the distance.

If Kennedy can get takedowns consistently, especially as time
progresses, he is smothering from top position. Even if he
struggles to control Bisping on the mat, Kennedy can stay busy with
dirty boxing and knees in the clinch. However, it is worth noting
that before he was able to land the knockout blow against Natal,
Kennedy ate his share of straight punches and leg kicks as he
struggled to track down his Brazilian opponent. Bisping is far more
advanced than Natal in terms of movement and striking, so Kennedy
will need to do a better job of cutting off the cage.

The Pick: This could go either way, but look for
Kennedy’s persistence to pay off as he gradually outworks Bisping
to capture a narrow decision.